People using 'less' when they should be using 'fewer'

I couldn’t care fewer.

[malix@derp ~]$ fewer .bashrc 
bash: fewer: command not found

:(

Permanently Deleted

-bash: fewer: command not found

Your post is fewer than 60 minutes old.

I couldn't give fewer of a shit

I'm also a non-native speaker and I've also been taught to speak a certain way ("you and I are going" but "he saw you and me"; don't split infinitives; don't end sentences with prepositions, etc.), but then I read Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct and - even more relevant here - The Sense of Style. We've been taught to use language a certain way, but our teachers were following the prescriptivist school of thought. You say these rules were written by native folk, but it's often (if not usually) the native folk that say less when they "should" be saying fewer.

I know you said it's only mildly infuriating to you, but if proper use of language is something dear to your heart (as it is to mine) - I really recommend the above books as I think this is something not worth to get even mildly infuriated about. The border between less and fewer is fuzzier than you think and - in the words of Pinker - once you really master the distinction - that's one fewer thing for you to worry about.

Edit: typo

I have used less several times when I should have used more...

when people write should of instead of should have

Sorry, I'll do that fewer.

Bash says that the fewer command can't be found...

I've corrected people a few times on this, but then I looked it up, and from what I understand, since language is defined by usage, saying "less" when technically it should be "fewer" is still generally correct. It still sounds alright to me, though oddly the reverse (using "fewer" when it should be "less") sounds fewer (aka less) correct to me.

bash: fewer: command not found

People thinking the English language is static and has to follow rules.

This Is English, my friend. The top dog of non-proscriptive languages where meanings change over time and reflect current usage.

Want to force everyone to follow the rules?

Start speaking French.

I've tried more instead of less, I will have to try fewer and see how it works, which repo is fewer on?

So what you're saying is we need to use 'less' fewer?

The thing I find interesting is how the mixing of less and fewer, is broadly accepted, whereas nobody tends to use ‘much’ and ‘many’ interchangeably.

I’m not quite sure why much/many is do conserved when fewer/less isn’t.

Hmmm - maybe I should be using "fewer" less times than I should be using "less" fewer times...

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

common usage is not the enemy

Ok so, as a native English speaker, let me inform you, that whatever you think is a rule in English, isn't. It's a guideline. It's a hard language because we lack structure. The native teachers are teaching you the basic guidelines, not actual conversational English, which varies heavily on location, and social group.

Less people should be using “less” instead of “fewer”. 😜

No link, no AUR and hard to google, thanks.

edit: the joke fell flat, because with how modern replacements often are named, fewer could easily have been a modern less.

I'm doing good.

Same. It's like a tic, I'm compelled to mutter "fewer" in my mind, or else I can't keep paying attention

They should be using 'sass'

People using "fewer" instead of "less" would be far more infuriating. 'cause you know they know better and are trying to get a rise out of you :)

It’s fine, OP - English is my native language and it irks me some, too, because It was a subject in school that I did really well in and tutored other students.

I’ve come to accept the fact that most folks will always say ‘less’ regardless of the context, I’m guilty of it at times, and at the end of the day it’s not a big deal. But I’m sorry you’re getting the reaction that you are.

My husband and I were actually discussing this a few days ago when I corrected him, again, but at this point it’s more of a running joke between us and he laughs (he is the only person who I ‘correct’ because it is a joke and he finds it funny; I’m not being an asshole when I do it and he knows that).

I'll try to lessen the few times it happens.

Reminds me of this Weird Al bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGWiTvYZR_w

I refuse to acknowledge anyone's struggle with common words like that except lose and loose.

Unlike less and fewer which are basically interchangeable unless you're being pedantic lose and loose are two completely different words entirely

https://youtu.be/RGWiTvYZR_w

Using less what?

Honestly you have to be able to switch caring about that stuff off, when you want to, otherwise knowing any of these rules is more a curse than a blessing.

No hablo senorita

This is Mildly Infuriating, not I'm dying if this doesn't stop.

Equally, this is mildly infuriating not mildly irritating. The subreddit is for things you're getting, albeit mildly, infuriated by.

You should make less worries about this.

Totally agree. I need to bite my tongue when I hear it.

Also see: ‘Very unique’ And ‘jealous’ when they mean ‘envious’.

If you're able to correct them, you've understood what they're trying to say. So what's the harm?